Chapter one: The African Peer Review Mechanism and its implementation in Lesotho 2. Accelerate socioeconomic development in order to achieve sustainable development and eradicate poverty. 3. Strengthen policies, delivery mechanisms and outcomes in key social development areas, including education for all, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and other communicable diseases. 4. Ensure affordable access to water, sanitation, energy, finance (including microfinance), markets, information and communication technology (ICT), shelter and land for all citizens, especially the rural poor. 5. Progress towards gender equality in all critical areas, including equal access to education for all girls at all levels. 6. Encourage broad-based participation in development. APRM principles 5. There are a number of essential factors and principles that underpin the effectiveness of the APRM. These include: national ownership and leadership by the participating country; inclusivity and broad-based participation; and accountability, technical competence, credibility and freedom from manipulation. 6. To ensure that these principles are operationalised, rules and procedures have been developed to guide all stakeholders in the conduct of the review process. These include: the APRM Base Documents; the Guidelines for Countries to Prepare for and to Participate in the APRM (Country Guidelines); and the standard questionnaire for APRM assessment that is sent to all countries. Leadership and management structure of the APRM 7. The governance structure of the APRM consists of three main bodies: • The Committee of Participating Heads of State and Government [African Peer Review (APR) Forum]. • The Panel of Eminent Persons (APR Panel). • The APR Secretariat. The Committee of Participating Heads of State and Government (APR Forum) 20 8. The overall responsibility for the APRM is vested in the committee of member states that have voluntarily acceded to the APRM. The APR Forum is headed by a chairperson elected from among the participating heads of state and government. 9. The APR Forum is mandated to meet at least twice a year to consider review reports and make other decisions relating to the management and implementation of the APRM. 10. The APR Forum may also hold extraordinary sessions as necessary to conduct peer reviews or consider other matters relevant to the implementation of the APRM.